Clone Army
by MyNameIsJeffNImLost
Summary: "We really should have a code word so we all know which Beckett to kill when her clone army attacks."


_Summary: "_We really should have a code word so we all know which Beckett to kill when her clone army attacks." - Kevin Ryan, from_ Castle_, "Nikki Heat", 3.11.

Disclaimer: Nobody else owns anything here, so why would I?

Disclaimer 2: No beta. Why would I sucker/obligate/subject anyone into reading this when they didn't want to?

_8 Mar 2011_

**XXXXXXXX**

Detective Kate Beckett walked out of the break room cradling a warm mug in her hands. Glancing at her desk, she saw a tall cup from the local coffee shop. Next to it sat a bear claw. Kate smiled. The mug of regular she had just filled would go to waste while she enjoyed 'The Good Stuff'. She always let Castle think she used the old pot because his cappuccino machine was excessive. The truth was she liked when he brought her a cup. If she was going to waste a mug, it might as well be the battery acid.

The bear claw was a problem, though. At an early morning crime scene when she had skipped breakfast, they were great. This morning, she had already eaten a large cranberry muffin-the good kind with the orange flakes. The bear claw meant she would be hitting the gym later, because of course she was going to eat it. She would have to explain the rules about when bringing sweets was acceptable… again.

Sitting at her desk, she sipped the cup and started through her paperwork, never glancing at Castle, at least not directly. Out of the corner of her eye, she could she him focused on his cell phone, probably playing some game or texting his daughter.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed with a message. Picking up her phone she read the message. It was from Castle.

'_morning. How's your day?_

Kate rolled her eyes. Castle was sitting right next to her, but he had to text. How juvenile. Fine. She could play along.

_Good. U R quiet._

_Busy morning. I still had to say hi. Maybe talk later._

Kate wondered how long he was going to do this.

_U seem busy_

_Miss me?_

What was he talking about? He was sitting right next to her. She received another message.

_I miss you. Lunch l8r?_

_You could just ask._

_Just did._

Kate was fed up. "Castle, this is ridiculous!" She looked up to glare at her desk mate. "Ahhh! Who the hell are you!?" She jumped up and took a step back.

The man at her desk looked a little like Castle, was dressed in the same coat, wore a similar smug smile, but was _not_ Rick Castle. He wasn't nearly as cute. _Wait. What? _Castle was her friend, maybe her best friend, but thinking of him that way led to bad things, like last summer.

Esposito's and Ryan's laughter could be heard across the room.

"You know me, Nikki. I'm Jameson Rook."

"Wha-what? I don't know who you are, sir, but I am not Nikki Heat. I am Detective Kate Beckett, and whoever you are, you should not be here."

"Fine. Break the fourth wall. I know you're not Nikki, Detective Beckett. I'm Tom Samuels." He offered a hand, which Kate just stared at. "I'm playing Jameson Rook in the _Heat Wave_ movie. At least I will be once I can convince the producers to take me back. Something about one method actor being enough. I'm certain I can prove them wrong. Natalie Rhodes told me about her experience shadowing you, so I thought this would be a good idea. There's one bit of character research I need your help with."

Kate's mouth dropped. _Character research?_ _Did he mean the same thing Natalie meant? _"You are not approved to be here. You have to leave."

"I'm not bothering anyone. I'll just sit here, act like I'm helping, and then we can do some 'character research' after you finish whatever you do here."

Kate didn't know what to do. This actor had certainly had figured out how to exacerbate her, just like Castle. She looked at her teammates who were still bent over in their chairs laughing. Fortunately, her cell rang.

"Beckett."

"Hi. You never answered about lunch."

"Lunch? Right. Um. I had a little… surprise… at my desk. Castle, do you know anything about a Tom Samuels? He says he is playing you, I mean Rook, in the movie."

"He's there? Well he's not playing Rook. He was fired. On the first day of shooting they realized he wasn't a method actor, he was just crazy. Since then he's been bugging the hell out of me. Last night, he somehow got inside my secure building to my door when Alexis was home alone. She didn't let him in. I'm at court right now getting a restraining order."

"I'll take care of him."

Beckett had some uniforms escort Samuels out. When she told Ryan and Esposito about the restraining order, they realized their joke wasn't so funny after all.

After a few hours, the real Castle showed up at her desk with a grin. "Thai food is pleasing to the tongue."

Beckett looked at Castle in confusion.

"My code phrase, so you know I'm not part of the clone army. Also, I thought you might like Thai for dinner. I'm buying."

Beckett smiled and grabbed her coat.

As they waited for the elevator, Castle spoke, "Sorry about lunch. I had more Samuels fallout to deal with. I sicced Paula on the producers. From now on, they're going to keep us more in the loop about crazies on the set. After dinner," Castle continued, "I thought maybe you could help me with some character research."

That earned an eye roll. "I've read your Nikki Heat books. You definitely need to do some research."

"Why do you think I follow you around?"

"Oh, not on cases. I think you've done enough of that. You could stop whenever you want. Not that I want you to stop. You are sometimes… helpful. I'm talking about the other kind of research," Kate teased.

Castle almost choked. "Are you offering?"

Kate pretended to think for a second. "Nah, not tonight. I'm too hungry. Let's go get some Thai."

As the elevator doors closed, Castle's eyes shot wide open. _Not tonight. _ Kate laughed. "You're too easy, Castle." She looped her arm in his. Boyfriends come and go, but she had her one and only Castle, and she wasn't letting him get away.

**XXXXXXXX**

A/N: I still think a sci-fi/crack treatment of this quote would be hilarious. Fortunately, two people have taken me up on the idea. Check out _The Beckett Clones_, by **LittleLizzieZentara**, and _Caskett Prototype_, by **MidnightIndigo**. I did try a Castle/Stargate crossover story with a clone: _This Never Happened_.


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